Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1454229
M A R C H 2 0 2 2 3 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M E very year, Penn State manages to find a player in the second half of the re- cruiting cycle who seems to come out of nowhere. In the 2022 cycle, that player was Omari Evans. Of the 23 prospects who signed with PSU during the early signing period in December, Evans, a three-star wide re- ceiver from Killeen, Texas, was the last to earn an offer from James Franklin and his staff. It all came about quickly, too. Of- fensive coordinator Mike Yurcich reached out for the first time in mid-June, and within a week Evans had made plans to fly to State College. "Coach Yurcich hit me up and told me that they were very interested," Evans re- called. "But due to lack of film at receiver, they wanted me to come do a one-on-one workout." Evans, who mainly played quarterback at Robert M. Shoemaker High, would or- dinarily have had to wait until July if he wanted to work out for the staff. Penn State had already wrapped up its on-cam- pus prospect camps. But with the NCAA allowing personal workouts during unof- ficial visits this past year, he was allowed to work with the coaches two days before the dead period started. Evans ended up surpassing the staff's expectations, running a 4.3-second 40- yard dash, along with a 4.2-second shut- tle. He picked up an offer immediately. By the time official visits resumed in September, Evans was down to two schools: Penn State and Rutgers. Greg Schiano and his staff were considered the favorites at the time because Evans had taken four visits to Rutgers since June. Evans' mother, Dorian, conceded that she didn't even want to go to Penn State at first. But because of Omari's interest, she relented. "For my children, I'm always going to keep an open mind and put my best foot forward," she said. "I think what im- pressed me the most about their coaches was that they never put pressure on Omari. It was more like, 'This is what we have to offer. We know you'll be a great fit, but it's up to you and what you decide.' I respected that approach. I liked the way they handled that." Evans then took an official visit to Penn State for the game against Auburn early in the season. That's when everything started to shift for both mother and son. For Dorian Evans, Penn State's aca- demic commitment was crucial. She also had a chance to learn more about the coaching staff and get a better feel for its priorities. Those things were important to Omari, too. And he was also able to get to know his future teammates. He still took his time making a decision after the visit, but on Oct. 2, he committed to the Lions. An On3 Consensus three-star pros- pect, Evans totaled 853 yards passing and 818 yards rushing as Shoemaker's start- ing quarterback last season. He earned all-conference honors twice, as well as academic all-state honors in 2021. "The leadership he brought to our pro- gram brought a lot of success," Shoemaker coach Toby Foreman said. "He's an explo- sive, competitive and electric player." ■ Evans appeared to be leaning toward Rutgers before announcing on Oct. 2 that he would be headed to Penn State. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL Lions Make A Key Late Addition In Omari Evans RYA N S N Y D E R | S N Y D E R 4 2 0 8 8 @ G M A I L . C O M OMARI EVANS WR | 6-0 | 170 SHOEMAKER HIGH KILLEEN, TEXAS RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE consensus ✪ ✪ ✪ 504 80 79 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 65 66 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 37 67 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 43 — ✪ ✪ ✪ — 54 49 STATISTICS • Passed for 853 yards and eight touchdowns, while rushing for 818 yards and eight scores as a senior on a Shoemaker team that finished 8-3. • Started at cornerback as a junior and had 45 tackles, an interception and two pass breakups. • Had 247 rushing yards, 127 receiving yards and 140 passing yards as a sophomore. NOTABLE • Twice earned second-team all-conference honors: as a cornerback following his junior sea- son and as a quarterback after his senior season. • Was a team captain as a senior. • Competed in track, baseball and basketball. • Earned Class 6A Academic All-State honors as a senior. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Penn State on Oct. 2, 2021. • Recruited by receivers coach Taylor Stubble- field and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich. • Picked Penn State over Rutgers, Baylor and Vanderbilt. • Enrolled at PSU in January 2022. 2022 PROJECTION Evans is transitioning to a new role as a full- time receiver after seeing most of his action at quarterback, so a redshirt season seems likely. THEY SAID IT Toby Foreman, Robert M. Shoemaker head coach: "Omari is a quality young man as well as a great football player. He's extremely engaged and committed in the classroom. He's just a high-quality individual." BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "It's hard to peg what skills Evans possesses outside of speed and intelligence and to then project his path going forward. When he played receiver in high school, he lined up in the slot. So, for now, he projects as a vertical-speed slot receiver with huge upside. It's clear that if Penn State's coaches are going to bet on something, they will bet on speed."